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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. current — of water
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mug — a face
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. current — happening now
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. current — electric
  16. stock — goods
  17. cold — not warm
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mug — a cup
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com